Buff Scott Jr.
Junior
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2023
- Messages
- 307
- Reaction score
- 102
- Points
- 43
SYMPTOMS
Of The Modern-Day Church
Buff Scott, Jr.
Too Organized – Too Ritualistic
Of The Modern-Day Church
Buff Scott, Jr.
Too Organized – Too Ritualistic
Although God's children are scattered throughout most churches, religious parties, and denominations, yet those churches are overly organized, needlessly ritualistic, excessively formulated, and unduly mechanical. The activities, movements, and efforts of the first believers were unskilled, ordinary, unsophisticated, and informal—although serious and edifying. Our contemporary arrangement is perplexing, rehearsed to the brim, formalistic, boring, and routine.
As so many are elected to some church office or to some official church function, there are hardly enough left to enhance the practical aspect of the program. So the "elected officials," like any other corporation, go around in circles, involving themselves in paper work, organizing meetings, filling speaking engagements, and otherwise doing very little to convert the world.
The world keeps hanging, if only by a thread, waiting for "Christians" to toss it the lifejacket of salvation. But no! Institutional religion is too busy keeping her churches and organizations afloat to bother with the Great Commission. Millions are waiting for someone to bring them the message of salvation, but she sits around creating more organizations to implement the ones that have already become dormant and stale.
Until the modern church becomes more interested in more people, she will remain out of the people business. The modern-day church has adopted the idea that success cannot be achieved until her whole mechanism is institutionalized. By thus believing and doing, she has signed her own death certificate.
As so many are elected to some church office or to some official church function, there are hardly enough left to enhance the practical aspect of the program. So the "elected officials," like any other corporation, go around in circles, involving themselves in paper work, organizing meetings, filling speaking engagements, and otherwise doing very little to convert the world.
The world keeps hanging, if only by a thread, waiting for "Christians" to toss it the lifejacket of salvation. But no! Institutional religion is too busy keeping her churches and organizations afloat to bother with the Great Commission. Millions are waiting for someone to bring them the message of salvation, but she sits around creating more organizations to implement the ones that have already become dormant and stale.
Until the modern church becomes more interested in more people, she will remain out of the people business. The modern-day church has adopted the idea that success cannot be achieved until her whole mechanism is institutionalized. By thus believing and doing, she has signed her own death certificate.
Going Where The Action Is
Instead of trying to get the world into our church structures, let the Good News of the resurrection take believers out of our church structures and into the world. The "world" is next door, down the street, over the hill, at the supermarket and office, and on the bus and plane. Wherever people are, we will find the "world." As it is not necessary to be specially trained and schooled to go next door to tell a neighbor about gardening, it is not required that one be specially instructed and educated to tell the same neighbor about the Man who came forth from the grave after three days.
Those common, uneducated saints who fled from Jerusalem in the face of persecution "went everywhere broadcasting the Word" [Acts 8:1-4]. They had a simple but stirring story to tell, and they told it! If Jesus' special envoys, the apostles, had insisted that they first attend a school of theology, the message would have stopped dead in its tracks—as it has in our present age. The early believers were already enrolled in the school of Jesus Christ, and the resurrection was their theology!
Those common, uneducated saints who fled from Jerusalem in the face of persecution "went everywhere broadcasting the Word" [Acts 8:1-4]. They had a simple but stirring story to tell, and they told it! If Jesus' special envoys, the apostles, had insisted that they first attend a school of theology, the message would have stopped dead in its tracks—as it has in our present age. The early believers were already enrolled in the school of Jesus Christ, and the resurrection was their theology!
